Assassins Glory
by Neko-Graphic
Summary: Sakura and Tenten are contract killers hired by the government to do its dirty work. Their mission kill the leaders of the world's most powerful gang. All in the name of their dream and of course... Glory.
1. Glory to the Highest Bidder

Assassins Glory

It is the year 2078 global economy collapsed causing individual countries governments to fall apart. With the loss of government the crime rate rises at an alarming rate as the world crumbles into sever economic depression. Desperate for security, the few remaining governments of the worlds leading countries decide the band together to tackle the crisis. They became the Global Government (G.G), more powerful than the U.N they began to clean up the mess left by the economic crisis, however it is not a job they can fully complete. Gangs and Underground organizations feed on the growing disparity by creating more. They prevent the G.G from bringing the world to proper order back from the chaos they were spiralling into. Unable to compete with the growing power of Organized Crime syndicates the G.G turn to more unconventional tactics. Such techniques are kept under the radar, on strictly need to know basis. One such is the tactic of quietly taking out their opponents through silent measures which were coded C.K. Contact Killers.

Chapter one: Glory to the highest bidder.

The sun had set long ago casting the ruins of the West End into sharp relief against the neon orange sky. No one was walking down the abandoned streets anymore, laughing their cares away. They hadn't in a long time. A great shadow was cast by the chain link fence that separated the West End from the rest of the thriving city. A black scar on a perfect white snow apple. One that most people in Capital city preferred to ignore. But it suited its current inhabitant's just fine.

In one of the better apartment buildings in the West End, in the least damaged condo, sheer blinds covered the windows preventing the remaining sunlight from leaking too much into the decently furnished condo. In one such room on a futon mattress, a young woman slept. Her arm thrown over her eyes as she slept on her back, spread eagled with a sheet covering her. Beside her, her mobile phone began to vibrate, its screen flashing blue as it showed the I.D of the caller. Groaning the woman turned over and tried to ignore the incessant buzzing but to no avail. Finally giving up she flung the sheet off her and grabbed the phone, her pink hair in disarray and green eyes venoms. Pressing the button she placed it to her ear.

"What?" she demanded, not liking having her sleep interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah. Uh-huh. That it? You serious? Now?" the pinkette glances at the digital clock that glowed neon green number at her, than out the window. "C'mon it's just the break of dusk. What if someone sees us? …well fuck we might as well. Yeah. Yeah. See ya." She hung and sighed, dropping her phone on the ground to join the sea of clothing she swung her legs off the futon and sat there for a few moments her head bowed as she tried to straighten her thoughts.

"Oooh kay," she stood and stretched, dressing nothing but a bra and panties, she left her (nice, cozy, wonderful) room and strode down the hall to bang on another door.

"Ten wake up!" she called through the wood. She heard a grunt on the other side signifying that her friend and partner were still alive and kicking. "C'mon get your butt out of bed. We got a job order." She heard a drawn out groan and smirked, she was awake now.

"Yeah I'll be there in five Sakura." Came the muffled voice of her friend. Sakura nodded then walked back to her room and scanned the floor looking for something clean to wear.

"I should clean this up some day," Sakura muttered to herself as she began picking through the articles until she found an outfit that was decent enough for wear. Putting on a black tank top with a racer back and dark wash jeans, she then brushed her hair from the frizzled mop of bed head she currently had to the shiny head of silk she aspired to have. Only shoulder length it wasn't too hard to manage. Grabbing a short sleeve, short cut jacket as she left Sakura heard Tenten cursing as she stumbled around her own room.

"I'll just get breakfast ready then…" She said to herself walking down the white-carpeted hall towards the main living area. Computer screens lined the far wall; stolen from a government building they had access to all the databases used by the G.G. Sakura walked to a console and typed in the file number she had been sent via phone. Clicking enter she saw the little hourglass icon pop up indicating the location of the meet was loading. Grumbling about how technology should be better and how the internet sucked Sakura made her way to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. Tenten was murderous without her morning cup and Sakura didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of those punches.

"Wassup?" Tenten walked into the room stretching her arms above her head and yawned. She too was dressed in dark clothing. But for her it was more…leather. Leather pants, leather jacket, leather choker, at least she wore a green cotton t-shirt under the jacket.

"Job request," Sakura told her mixing in cream and sugar into her coffee and handed another mug to Tenten who took hers straight black. "Don't know who yet, just added the PIN into the computers to see where we go."

"Think we got it?" Tenten asked taking a sip and sighed relieved. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"We wouldn't have gotten the ring if we didn't." she replied.

"It's a big job," said Tenten, "and we only know that by the reward they had posted. Other than that we or anybody knows squat."

"True," Sakura agreed, "Not to mention the 'Bonus' they had added recently when there were no takers. Bigger the deal, the more dangerous the job of course they had to sweeten it."

"And still we know nuthin' about what it is." Tenten finished drinking heavily from her mug just as the computer beeped, signalling it was finished.

Sakura grinned, "Now we'll find out won't we?" she said and placed down her finished cup and walked back over to the computers. Again she began typing and a screen popped up scrolling down quickly with useless information. Sakura kept typing as she quickly scanned the info coming her way. And last she slammed down on the enter key.

"Boom!" she said,"And we got us selves a winner!"

"Who is it?" Tenten asked coming over to look over Sakuras shoulder. Sakura gaped.

"You are not going to believe this…" she said, her eyes locked on the meeting place. Tenten read the info and nearly dropped her coffee.

"Say WHAT?"

X~X~X

"This is insane absolutely insane." Tenten muttered as the pair walked through the deserted streets towards the chain link fence that separated their piece of heaven from the rest of the world. Sakura had a jump in her step and grinned.

"Of course it is," she told her friend, "That's what makes it interesting!" Tenten stared at the girl with an incredulous expression.

"You do know we can get arrested right?" she said, "For all we know this could be a trap." Sakura stuck out her tongue and wagged her finger in Tentens face.  
"Could be, but the rewards are worth risk don't ya think?" she asked, Tenten rolled her eyes.

"What ever," she said, "First we just have to actually get into the city without getting noticed first." The fence circled the city and was twelve feet high with security cameras spaced periodically along the perimeter.

"I never understood why they try so hard," Sakura murmured to herself looking up at the cameras. Tenten shrugged and began looking around for the bush that hid the hole they had cut into the fence for instances just like this.

"Who knows," Tenten spied the bush and pushed it aside revealing the hole, "Maybe they're just paranoid." She began to remove the loose dirt at the base of the hole to make it big enough for the pair to get through.

Sakura snorted, "Man politicians are wackjobs."

"And that's why we live outside their control zone right?" Tenten smiled as she crawled and wiggled under the fence, twisting her body so to not get her clothes caught on the sharp spikes of the fence, designed to prevent this sort of activity. Finally through she straightened up and brushed the dirt from her clothing, "To be free of their control."

"And to not get arrested," Sakura added as she slipped through the hole, being smaller and thinner then Tenten, it was easier for her.

"True," Tenten agreed as Sakura joined her. Walking away from the fence they made sure to be n the cameras blind spots just as they had approaching the fence from the West End.

"You think they're still there?" Sakura asked.

"No one comes this way Sak." Tenten said moving into a patch of trees and yanking a camouflaged blanket off two motorcycles, "They think its radio active remember. Or cursed."

"Riiiiiight, cursed." Sakura rolled her eyes as she straddled her red and black bike and put on her helmet. They seemed to be doing that a lot today.

Racing off the pair reached the city in a few minutes with time to spare before they had too meet their unbelievable client.

"I can't believe they contacted us." Tenten said as they sat at a café on a busy sidewalk across the street from the building where their client worked. Sakura took a bite of her sandwich and shrugged.

"It just goes to show how much are rep has grown." Sakura said turning to watch her friend and partner as she too ate a sandwich.

"But to work for the G.G?" Tenten shook her head, "That just blows me away."

"Even the biggest governments have secrets, "Sakura muttered. Tenten heard and nodded.

"Yeah," she replied, "and that's why we exist." Sakura stood and placed a couple bills on the table to cover their expenses.

"Come on," She said, "we may be early, but let's let them know that this team, works by our own rules. Not theirs." Tenten grinned and stood, straightening her hidden knives in her belt as she did.

X~X~X

Inside the building was no more impressive than the outside in Sakuras opinion. She looked around and up noting all the security cameras and the locations of guards out of habit. Tenten stretched her neck to the side and cricked it.

"Which floor?" she asked.

"Fifteenth." Sakura replied. Tenten looked around and noted the black business suits worn by the office workers and the tweed skirts worn by the secretaries.

"We stick out like a sore thumb," Tenten muttered, "let's get moving. I want to get this over with." Sakura nodded in agreement. The crossed the tiled floor, weaving their way through the crowd easily, smoothly avoiding the security guards and cameras. They had to be; their profession dictated that must in order to be as good as they were. Slipping past the security checks they made their way pass the elevators where they could be easily caught, and towards the stairway. It was a long way up but they were fit and the long tiring climb up to the fifteenth floor didn't bother them much. They spent most of their energy muffling any sound they might have made on the concrete stairs.

Since the stairway was also made of concrete sound traveled fairly easily and far, which would alert unwanted attention since no one used the stairways. Sakura and Tenten passed landing by landing, pausing only to listen if anyone was coming to meet them or intruded on their assent. You never knew what you met; the stairwells were usually a favourite for couples looking for some privacy. A fact Sakura and Tenten had taken advantage of on many such jobs. Usually the targets didn't get so far as second base let alone a homerun before they were out for the count. Usually with a bullet to help them along.

Finally they reached the fifteenth floor. Grinning Sakura just opened the door with a loud bang and waltzed right into the room beyond. Tenten rolled her eyes, for the fifth time this morning, and hurried to catch up with her partner as she walked through the room as if she owned it.

Phones were ringing off the hooks everywhere. Men in suits and women in sensible clothes hurried this way and that carrying files and papers. Some stopped to stare as the two walked passed their desks, some in a middle of phone conversations, since the pair looked so out of place and were obviously not here for any good.

"Yo," Sakura stopped at one mans desk and leaned heavily on it. The man flushed and began to sweat as he tried to keep his eyes on her face. "Can you help me with something?" she asked sweetly, batting her lashes lightly at him. The man gulped.

"S-sure." He stuttered.

"Where can we find the office of a mister…Hattake Kakashi?" she flashed him a dazzling smile and Tenten resisted the urge the smack her forehead as the man flushed deeper. God men were so easy to manipulate.

"Uh um he's the office down the hall. At the very end, you can't miss it." He ended pointing in the direction they needed to go. Sakura glanced in the direction of the office and flashed him another smile.

"Thank you very much," she looked at the name plaque on his desk, "Genma." She got off his desk and gestured to Tenten leaving a dazed Genma at his desk with his friends goggling at them. One of them even gave him a punch in the arm. Tenten shook her head and Sakura laughed as they made their way to Hattake Kakashis' office.

Without even bothering to knock the pair just walked into the mans office. He was middle-aged, white hair sticking up at a crazy angle; a medical mask covered the lower half of his face. He was on the phone talking to someone when they entered. He glared at them and muttered, "We'll continue this later." And hung up. Placing his hand on the desk top in a calm pose he looked them over.

"Can I help you?" he asked pleasantly. Sakura just smiled wickedly as Tenten spoke.

"You have a job for us?" she said casually closing the door behind her making sure no one was near. He got a knowing look on his face and tensed up.

"You are very early. I didn't expect you until closer to clock out." He said his voice deceptively civilized.

"Yeah well we had nothing better to do so we figured to stop in and get out of the way," Sakura said casually and she sat down slowly into one of the two chairs placed in front of the agents desk. Her face suddenly turned serious.

"So what does the International Bureau of Investigation what with two C.K's like us?" Tenten asked, also keeping her voice pleasant. She walked around the office, looking at certificates and pictures of a purple haired woman grinning into the camera with a small girl in her arms. "Your family?"

"Yes," he answered her voice strained. She stepped away from the pictures, her message clearly sent. And he cleared his throat.

"We at the I.B.I are charged with the investigation of large scale criminal activities that would threaten the fragile infrastructure of our government and society. However there are cases when the evidence is not enough to stop some of these threats." He said, "When that happens, we have little choice but to hire C.K's in order to…"

"Fix the problems?" Sakura filled in.

"Er yes." He said.

"What's in it for us?" Tenten asked sharply narrowing her gaze at the man. He smiled, she could tell, under his mask.

"Your reputation precedes you two, highly skilled and erasing targets without a trace, you fully are the embodiment of the term assassin." He said Sakura narrowed her eyes and Tenten snorted quietly. "In addition to the price we are offering a bonus." He continued. The pair waited for him to continue.

"We are offering full immunity from federal prosecution for past and future actions." Tenten nearly let her jaw drop. Were they nuts?!!

"It's got to be a huge problem if you're offering that to a couple of professional killers." Sakura said as she too struggled to accept their terms. The agent nodded his head.

"Will you do it?" he asked.

"The fact that we are still even here means we will." Tenten stated, "If we weren't going to you would already be dead." The man nodded at that.

"Makes sense," he walked over to a file cabinet with three drawers cleverly labelled Low secret, Middle secret and Top secret, and with a practiced heave yanked out the top drawer. He pulled out a file and handed it over to Sakura. She took it cautiously and opened it glancing at the profile into and her eyes making it's way to a file photo that seemed to have been taken by a surveillance team. Two men stood by a silver sports car talking to one another.

"These are your targets," Kakashi said, "Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Neji. They are the leader and second in command, respectively, of the gang Hittokiri." Sakura passed the picture to Tenten who took it and frowned as she looked at the handsome men.

'Why are all the bad guys so damn hot?' she wondered.

"The dark haired one is Uchiha," Kakashi continued, "And the long haired one with the weird eyes is Hyuuga. The two families used to be huge crime families at one another's throats until Uchiha took over after his father and brothers' deaths, he made a pact with the Hyuuga clan and they combined to form Hittokiri. Now they are the worlds largest and most powerful arms dealers. They can get anything."

"And you need us how?" Tenten asked.

"All our informants within the gang either end up dad or paid off," Kakashi said. This wasn't new to the girls they were criminals too. This was just how their world worked. "we can't seem to get to them, evidence disappears, people testifying against them will suddenly change their story and so on. Lately we have been hearing rumours that they were in a bidding war to purchase a bio-weapon." Sakuras' eyes shot up from the file she was reading and raised her brows.

"We have just confirmed those rumours and we wont be able to stop them in time from making the purchase." Kakashi slammed his fist on the desk, "I'll be damned if they sell it off to one of those anti-Government radical groups."

"So you want us to take them out, let the gang be in chaos while they try to replace them, then you guys can swoop in arrest them all and seize the bio-weapon while taking out one of the biggest threats to this world as we know it?" Tenten asked. Sakura smirked Tenten could always read through any situation, that was one of the reasons she pared up with her.

"Well yes." Kakashi replied amazed, "all their information is in there, including their current location and many of their locations if their not there."

"Sweet." Sakura said standing up. "That's all we need to know." She passed him a slip of paper, "This is our account number, and we'll let you know when we have finished the job. Then you can wire the money here."

"Not before?" Kakashi asked slyly. Sakura shrugged.

"We won't have any use for it if we're dead." She said calmly and the pair left. Kakashi sat there in his office for a long time after they were gone, thinking that they were too young to be caught up in a mess like this. They were only nineteen for crying out loud.

X~X~X

"What do you make of this Ten?" Sakura asked as they headed home safely back in the West End. Tenten scowled.

"I think its nuts." She said "Going up against Hittokiri? Fuck this is just suicide."

"Yeah," Sakura agreed, "but think of it this way, with this payment we can retire from killing." Tenten looked at her.

"We could…" she trailed off.

"But not likely!" Sakura finished with a grin and the pair laughed.

For them life was good.

But they had no idea what life was planning for them, right around the corner…

End of Chapter

N.G Hope you enjoyed that, gotta love starting off a new story :D it's so envigorating!

So review if you want, love it hate it? Lemme know.

Ja ne!


	2. Even the best laid plans

Assassins Glory

N.G: I don't own Naruto or any of its franchise

**A/N also people if you're ticked that I discontinued SB:ROTDW then don't freaking tell me I gave you my reasons for discontinuing it! I don't need you guys to tell me I suck and shit like that! 'cause I could have forced myself to write a sequel to an epic story I knew I should have ended without a sequel and it would have slowly but surely come out crappy. or I could have spared you and myself time and wasted effort I apologize to people who read this and have no idea what I'm talking about. You didn't need to read that…Sorry.**

Chapter two: Even the best laid plans…

**8:39pm Hittokiri HQ**

Uchiha Sasuke was not one for superstitions; in fact he wasn't even religious much to his mothers' chagrin. He viewed the world as a series of logistic problems with clear and concise answers to everything. It was just how he thought, he saw no point in the feuding gang war between the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans but he wasn't about to surrender either, so a compromise was in order. Not that anyone was complaining, anymore. They had combined to become the most powerful organized crime unit in the world. But so even he didn't have an answer for when fate came knocking on his door.

"Sasuke-sama," A quiet voice begged his attention from the doorway. The Uchiha looked up from his paperwork to see the cousin of his second in command standing there with her hands folded in front of her. He sighed and put down his pen and leaned back into his chair never taking his cold calculating eyes off the Hyuuga girl.

"What is it?" he asked no formality in his voice. Being used to their leaders behaviour, his friends and subordinates didn't so much flinch at his tine anymore, except when he was angry. Hinata bowed once more, her long violet hair falling like a curtain around her face.

"Our intelligence network has picked up a signal coming from the I.B.I sent to a pair of contract killers who are well known as some of the best." She reported not raising from her bow.

"Stand up Hinata," Sasuke told her, "We've know one another for too long for you too bow to me." Blushing furiously Hinata straightened her posture. "Why would the I.B.I use C.K's?" Sasuke muttered to himself placing his hand on his chin as he thought. Hinata waited patiently in the doorway, waiting to see if he had any instructions for her or for him to dismiss her.

"What do we know about these C.K's?" Sasuke asked her.

"Unfortunately not much," Hinata replied, "What we do know is that there are two of them working in a team. They are highly skilled in the fact that no one knows they're coming and no one has seen them."

"Who ever at the I.B.I who has hired them would know what they looked like." Sasuke said, "Have you checked the security cameras?"

"No, not yet sir. Shikamaru was waiting for your reaction before proceeding." Hinata half stepped out of the door was and indicated for him to follow her. "If you would follow me sir." Sasuke stood from his desk and followed the quiet girl down the hall way in the large mansion that was the headquarters for Hittokiri. It really was a nice place.

Designed and built by Sasukes ancestors and kept up by their decedents, the whole building was filled with luxurious wooden floors, clean white walls which were decorated with innumerable priceless antiques. Hey having connections in the worlds underground had its perks. Sasuke wasn't worried about anything being stolen, his men knew of his love of antiques and also knew the consequences if they should feel tempted to take one for them selves. Of coarse they would know, they had seen what happened to the last man who had gotten greedy of his masters collection. There wasn't enough left of him to be sent to his mother for burial.

As well as the treasures on the inside the mansion was stocked to the brim with the latest of security systems, monitoring systems of the grounds, guards and weapons often developed and tweaked by their own residential genius Naara Shikamaru, who they were going to see right now. No one got in or out without the Uchiha or Hyuugas' say so. A challenge for any unwanted guests.

"What do you have Shikamaru?" Sasuke asked as he walked into the room. The room was dark with no windows and the lights were turned off. Computer monitors filled the walls, casting their blue-whit light onto the techs who worked there.

"Sadly not much Sasuke," The lazy genius said rubbing his hand over his tired eyes. His brown hair usually pulled up in a spiky pony tail at the top of his head, Shikamaru was one of the few who could call Sasuke and Neji by their first name, and part of the fewer who could without and honorific. Growing up with the two had made sure of that. " I hacked into the I.B.I's security feed and went back and watched all day today and yesterday but haven't found anything to identify the killers or find their mission."

"If the I.B.I hired contract killers they would have met in the I.B.I building in order to prevent civilian involvement that could implicate them later." Sasuke said.

"I know they were there though," Shikamaru interrupted. He began typing quickly on the keybored. The video feed jumped back a day. "Look at these," Shikamaru pointed at the screen.

"What am I looking at Naara?" Sasuke asked watching the video of the I. front doors..

"Nothing." Shikamaru answered, "look at the crowed entering the building." He rewound the feed and played it again in slow motion.

"There's a space…" Sasuke muttered. Shikamaru nodded.

"Two actually," he said pointing to the other one. "Enough space for two bodies."

"But there's nothing there," Hinata said, her brows furrowed.

"Exactly!" Shikamaru said again typing furiously on the keyboard. "Those two have some how gotten their hands on EICD's!"

"What?" Hinata was puzzled.

"Electric Imprinting Cover Devices." Sasuke told her. "They were developed by the military for covert operations. They prevent electronic detection and recording devices from sensing them. In this case it prevented the camera from recording them. How the hell did they get their hands on those?" Sasuke whispered harshly his eyes jealous. EICD's were closely guarded by the military and even he could get his hand son some of them.

"No Idea," Shikamaru said, "But they must be _really_ good if they did." He hit one button and sat back in his chair. "Now watch, I'm going to isolate them by feeding the image through different frequencies. I haven't dealt with these before but we should get something." The trio watched as different colours began to crawl across the image, slowly but surely two forms were beginning to take shape. But they could get any defining features.

"Damn! Sorry boss." Shikamaru sighed at the two hazy blobs on the screen, their colours indistinct and features unrecognizable.

"It's all right Shikamaru," Sasuke told him, "We know that the I.B.I has hired two C.K's who are capable of stealing top secret government technology. They wouldn't hire people of that calibre if it were just for small fry. They're sending them after us. They must have gotten word of us buying that Bio-weapon. The timing to too close to be a coincidence."

"So what do we do?" Shikamaru asked twirling his chair to face his friend, his hands folded neatly on his stomach.

"Let them come," Sasuke said with a well known look in his eyes. One he got when he was about to make a good purchase or sale.

X~X~X

"What are you thinking about Ten?" Sakura asked from the kitchen. Tenten was in the living room supposedly cleaning their weapons like she always did before job. But this time the rag was limp in her hand and she didn't pick up one of their many knives.

"I was just wondering how we are going to even get it?" she said, "Hittokiri only consists of members of the Uchiha clan or Hyuuga clan, or people who have either been recommended or are extremely valuable to the gang. Since we are none of the above, and our only worth is going to be used against them…" She lifted her hands in a helpless gesture.

"We will have to use the EICD's again," Sakura muttered tiredly. Tenten nodded. "I hate those things. They drain too much energy. We only used them to get into the building and across the floors yesterday and they still whipped us out. How are we supposed to use them consecutively while trying to find our targets, avoiding their men, and without triggering their motion alarm systems?" Sakura ranted.

"I guess the same way we always do Sak," Tenten said picking up a throwing knife, "Quickly and quietly with no witnesses." Sakura sunk into a chair, her usual cheer gone.

"Yeah," She said propping her head onto her hand, "No witnesses."

**10:59pm outside Hittokiri HQ**

"I've scouted the area," Sakura said coming up to Tenten in the dark. There was a fringe of trees about a hundred yards from the fence that bordered the grounds of the estate that was the headquarters for Hittokiri. "This is the only area in the fencing that's not covered by security .

"It's probably designed that way as a lure for potential trespassers." Tenten concluded.

"You mean like us?" Sakura said with a grin.

"Duh," Tenten rolled her eyes, "Also that fence is probably either pressure sensitive or electrified. We touch it we're toast. Literally."

"So the question is," Sakura began.

"How the hell do we get inside?" Tenten finished. The girls were silent as they pondered their next move.

"well," Sakura began offhandedly, "We can always go under it." Tenten froze then turned her head stiffly to look at her friend with an incredulous expression.

"What?" Sakura asked. Tenten kept staring at her. "Okay you're creeping me out now."

"It's worth a try…" Tenten finally muttered and began examining the fence, "Yeah I think that would work."

"Then lets go," Sakura grinned wickedly.

X~X~X

"Think it'll work?" A blond haired man asked a brunette who was kneeling next to a large hound.

"Shikamaru came up with it Naruto, of course it will." He told the blond. Naruto sighed.

"I dunno Kiba, something don't feel right." He muttered staring out in to black night. They were far from the bright lights of the city.

"You just don't have enough youth Naruto-kun!" said a bowl headed man dressed in all green next to him. He smiled flashing his whit teeth temporarily blinding the small group that were waiting for the signal to move.

"Seriously dude," Kiba complained squinting his eyes against the glare, "stop doing that."

"It's a simple enough plan," said the hooded figure who had kept quiet all this time, "They touch the fence they set of the silent alarms, we're on them in seconds with guns ready."

"Shino when did you get here?" Kiba asked surprised.

"…I was always here Kiba."

"Sorry man." An awkward silence fell on the group.

"You guys are all sad…" Sasuke said by the doorway.

"Teme!" Naruto cried, "What's up?"

"Waiting for that pair of C.K's obviously dobe." He said walking over to the monitors, "Why are you using these? You won't be able to see them anyways." Kiba shrugged.

"I don't know how to turn them off." He said. Sasuke rolled his eyes and pressed a button and the screens flickered off.

"… shut up."

"Pwned.'

"I said shut up Shino!" everyone laughed when a red light from the ceiling began to flash.

"That's the signal," Sasuke told them all serious and pulling his gun, "Let's go."

They ran out into the night, rifles or hand guns cocked and ready sweeping from side to side trying to catch a glimpse of the killers. They weren't using their night vision goggles because they would have been useless against the EICD's. The group quickly approached the site that had deliberately been void of any security coverage and were shocked to see the pit dug under the fence, completely by passing the pressure sensing fence.

"Well shit," Naruto said lowering his gun slightly, "Guess Shikamaru didn't think of that."

"But then why did the alarm go off?" Shino asked.

"How youthful! Such a wonderful idea!" Lee crowed eyes shining in pure delight.

"Oh god if he does the sunset thing again I_ will_ shoot him." Kiba muttered to Akamaru who's nose was too the ground trying to pick up their quarries scent. The dog whined and lay down confused. He couldn't find any scent.

"Damn!" Sasuke growled he looked around and saw a light on the other side of the fence. He walked close to the chain link and squinted his eyes to see it better. The light was from a single candle beside it on the ground was the charred remains of thin rope. He looked around and saw a branch that hung close to the fence with a good sized rock swinging from it by the same kind of rope with another piece trailing from it. The end of that piece was charred.

"Clever," He muttered to himself. They were on the estate long before the signal was given. The time delaying device they had created proved that. And they had wasted even more time coming to check this area out. "very clever." The gleam returned to his eyes. Whatever the I.B.I was paying this pair he would pay double, triple even if they would switch sides to him. He could afford it.

"They're long gone," He told his team while standing. "They built a simple but effective time delay device after the dug this hole to get a heads start.

"Damn," Naruto cursed, "We would have seen them make it if we had cameras here…"

"True," Sasuke agreed, "But we can't change that now." He readied his guns making sure there was a bullet in the camber, "Move out."

The team nodded, knowing Sasuke could take care of himself. Silently they spread out and faded into the darkness. Sasuke strode confidently to the side of the building closest to the hole; it was about three hundred yards away. As he got closer he slowed his silent footsteps and placed both hands on his handgun. He had knives in his combat boots as well as in his belt. He pressed his back against the wall of the stone building grating the bare skin of his arms and shoulders slightly trying to prevent his cotton wife beater and bullet roof vest from getting caught on the rough hewn stone. He cross-stepped closer to the corner his eyes trained on the sharp turn. He reached it and took a calming breath, he span around the corner quickly with his gun raised. Nothing was there. A rock shifted somewhere behind him. He span gun trained…on nothing.

"You're even more handsome in person." Came a voice from his left "Pity." His eyes widened and he pivoted. His eyes caught a flash of pink, before a jarring pain to his wrists caused his gun to fly from his hands. He reached for a knife in his belt, but another kick sent him onto his back. Pressure landed on his arms pinning them to the ground and onto his chest. He opened his eyes and glared into amused green ones before he felt the press of a muzzle to his forehead.

X~X~X

Sakura watched amused as her target the Uchiha Sasuke, she and Tenten had split them up earlier, registered that his captor and soon to be killer was a woman. The shock in his eyes was evident.

"What expecting someone bigger?" she asked sweetly with a bright smile as she held her glock to his head. He shook off his amazement and glared at her.

"What if I was?" he countered. Sakura let out a peal of laughter throwing her head back.

"I was hoping you would." She said looking back at him still smiling and not at all offended, "It makes our job a lot easier when they don't expect us to be female."

"So there are two girls in your pairing?" he asked a smirk making it's way onto his face as she let that piece of info slip. She shrugged not al all worried.

"Like I said it makes it easier." He opened his mouth to speak some more but she held her finger to her lips with a sultry smile that left Sasukes mouth dry. "Shhhhh," she smiled, "It's time to get to the good part." She pulled back the hammer.

"It really is a shame," Sakura told him, her eyes thoughtful as she looked at his face up and down, "You really are too good looking to waste."

"Then don't." Sasuke told her , "I'll pay you double what your getting to work for me." Again Sakura smiled.

"Sorry, we don't break contracts and I don't think you can offer anything better than full immunity." She told him, "Any last words?"

"Just a few," Sasuke said with a devious smile of his own. "You should have killed me right off." As he said that he slammed his knee into Sakuras back. Sakura cursed and her grip on her gun faltered. Distracted Sasuke took the opportunity to grab her arms and roll, effectively switching their positions.

Sakura was absolutely furious. How could she have made such a rookie mistake?! Who knew, maybe it was the fact that he actually spoke to her, challenged her instead of begged for his life like all the others did. Maybe it was the understanding and intelligence in his eyes. Hell maybe it was even because in person he was fucking drop dead gorgeous! Still he was on top of her now and she was under him…not a bad position at any other time but he was right, she should have killed him right off and made a break for the exit and hoe. Trusting Tenten would be either right in front or behind her.

Sasuke lazily pulled out a shiny knife from his boot. Sakura eyed it. It was a wicked blade; well she had always known this day would come. It always did so she closed her eyes and waited for him to slice her a new mouth below the chin.

"Aw don't think that sweets," he spoke above her, Sakura peaked open an eye to look at him he eyes her , "I have use for you." He said then reversed the blade in his hand and brought the handle down and rapped her sharply on the temple effectively knocking her out.

End of Chapter

N.G: I actually have a picture of Sakura going Shhhhh on my deviant account. Links on my profile. Hoped you enjoyed. Next chap What is Sasuke planning? What will happen to Sakura? And where the heck is Tenten?


	3. Like a Puppet on a String

Assassins Glory

NG: Do I own Naruto? Ummm no.

Chapter 3: Like a Puppet on a String.

It was warmer than she thought it would be, death that is. And she didn't expect the pain to be there either…aren't you _not_ supposed to feel anything when you were dead? It was a question to ponder while in hell. Sakura had no illusions of going to heaven, not after all the people she's killed.

There were people talking near her too. Their voices were muted and she couldn't make out what they were saying. Damn that was annoying. Sakura focused on the sounds and slowly she could begin to make them out. One was a woman speaking in a quiet voice, almost a whisper. The other was a man whose voice was familiar but she couldn't…place it…oh now she knew.

"…placed her in the west wing." The woman said.

"Good," The male replied, "How is his condition."

"Nii-san is currently in the monitor room with Shikamaru-san. He wanted to make sure the two trespassers didn't have back up."

There was silence, Sakura assumed the man nodded. By now she had figured out she wasn't dead. And that pissed her off, because that meant she was captured, and by the sound of it so was Tenten and their credibility was shot. Also if the rumours about these guys were true…she was in for a lot of pain.

'I wonder if I can bite my tongue off without them noticing?' she pondered to herself. Keeping her eyes closed she continued to pretend she was still knocked out as she listened in. Maybe there was a way to salvage this.

"What do you wish to do with…"

"Never you mind Hinata." Uchiha Sasuke said in his arrogant, cold, smooth, sexy voice that pissed her off. It appeared the girl, Hinata or whatever knew a dismissal when she heard one. Smart girl. Sakura heard the door close and the latch lock into place with a small snick. She counted to twenty making sure there was no one else in the room with her. She than counted yet another thirty to get a mental feel of the room. She was on a large bed judging from the depth of which she had sunk into the mattress, to her left approximately eight feet away a clock was ticking away the seconds, and to her right approximately three feet away was a window. The breeze blew gently over her still features as she breathed deeply and evenly. It was open obviously, that meant escape. But what about Tenten…she would come back later and get her friend out. Unconsciously she clenched her fist as she prepared to bolt.

"It's no use pretending your asleep," Sasuke said from across the room from where he had stood before. Jigs up. Sakura didn't even look at him she just acted.

Leaping from the bed, slightly hampered by its size which explained why she was placed in the exact center most likely, she reached for the window ledge. A strong arm wrapped itself around her waist and threw her back onto the bed. Sakura rolled backwards off the bed once again and landed on her feet crouching and she eyes the Uchiha who watched her with an appraising look.

"Very good," he said with a smirk. Sakura narrowed her gaze at him and reached for a knife that must have missed their apparent search of her for weapons. She drew the extremely thin blade from its pouch that hung around her neck and between her breasts, and threw it straight for the Uchihas head. He stepped back slightly surprised and caught it and inch from his face.

When he looked back to where she was to glare at her she wasn't there anymore. A kick to his stomach sent him back against the wall.

"Not this time," He gritted out, clasping his hand around her ankle and giving it a sharp twist. Sakura yelped and he released her leg leaving her on the floor.

"Son of a-" she began that bit the inside of her cheek. It was probably not a smart thing to tick off your captor when you were already at a disadvantage.

"Not the way I had wanted to greet you," Sasuke told her, looking down at her as she held her ankle. She glared at him an told him to do something rather unpleasant. His eyebrow quirked, not many people had the galls to talk to him like that…well maybe a certain blond moron but he didn't count. It was kind of refreshing in a weird way.

"You done?" he asked her when she had her fill. The pink haired girl just rolled her eyes and fell back onto her back and glared up at the ceiling but at least she had stopped swearing at him. Sasuke sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, this was going to be painful he just knew it. Might as well get the mundane questions out of the way first. "Who are you."

"Your death," She answered.

"What's your name?"

"Not on the first date." She smirked at this one and gave him a sarcastic wink.

"Why are you here?"

"Duh you brought me here."

"Who do you work for?"

"Me. And my partner I guess."

"Who hired you?"

"Wouldn't you just love to know?"

"Why is your hair pink?"

"I was born this way. Why thinking of copying me?"

"Why are you trying to kill me?"

"Because that's my job."

"Who hired you?"

"Back to that? What bored all ready?"

Clearly this was going no where. And he really didn't want to send her down to the cages that would seriously dampen his plans of getting her to work for him.

"What do you want?"

She was actually silent on this one. Her face looking blank and her eyes glazed over and a small smile spread across her face. Sasuke had a split second to react when she replied.

"To die." He grabbed her jaw and slammed his hand in her mouth as he prevented her from biting through her tongue. Her teeth sunk into the flesh between his thumb and forefinger.

"Ow," he grimaced. It really hurt. She glared and him with a wicked spark in her eye. Than it was his turn to glare.

The little wench wasn't planning on killing herself! She just wanted to see how far he would go to keep her alive! She released his hand and threw her head back and began to laugh. He cradled his hand to his chest and began to inspect the wound. It was clean and not torn but it needed to be cleaned since she broke the skin. He stood and walked to the jug of water near the door. Grabbing a cloth napkin he soaked it in the water before wrapping it around the bleeding would. She was still laughing when he had finished.

"What's so funny?" he snapped at her. She stopped laughing and lifted herself off the floor giggling as she eyed him with a no small amount of hilarity in her expression. Heck she wasn't even trying to hid her smile.

"I got you to say ow!" She laughed again. One short laugh. "You must really want me for something if you would go that far just to keep the person who tried to kill you alive? I won't tell you who hired me so don't bother trying." Sasuke continued to glare at her in stony silence. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"My name's Sakura, Haruno Sakura." She told him, "I'm here because I was hired to kill you." She grinned at him, "But you already knew that so I have no idea why you asked in the first place. And what do I want? Well if you play nice I'll tell ya." Sasukes stare turned into an incredulous stare.

'What the hell? This girl just tried to kill her self even if that wasn't her intention, she just admitted to trying to kill him when all the others sent to do the job begged and pleaded that they weren't. what was wrong with her?'

"Though I must ask if I may, why am I here in the superbly epic room instead of your cages? I can only conclude you want something from me and my partner." She told him intentionally answering her own question, daring him to contradict her. Sasuke decided he wasn't going to play her game.

"Why didn't you escape while I was cleaning my hand? I couldn't have stopped you." Sasuke asked. Sakura rolled onto her front and propped her head onto her hands.

"You kept me alive so far for a reason Uchiha Sasuke. You stopped me from biting my tongue you didn't throw me to the dogs…I'm curious as to what you want. That's all."

"That's all?" he repeated.

"Yep."

"You're not worried about your friend?" he asked.

"No. I know Ten. No way she's dead."

"So sure…"

"Mmmm hmm." Sasuke shook his head. He needed fresh air. This girl was nothing like he expected, he needed time to clear his head.

"I'll send someone up with food and drinks." He told her walking to the door.

"'Kay! Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!" She called after him cheerfully.

X~X~X

"What a nut job…" Sasuke muttered as he walked into the monitor room. Shikamaru looked up at him.

"What the pink haired girl?"

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded ,"She freaking bit me!" he showed them his hand.

"Kinky," Naruto said from the corner.

"Dude what the hell?" Kiba asked the blond.

"Why would she bite you?" A brunette with long hair reaching his waist asked. His eyes were curiously pale like his cousin.

"To test me apparently," Sasuke told his partner dryly.

"Yeah her partner is a piece of work too," Hyuuga Neji said.

"Do I want to know?"

"Not really." The pair grimaced.

X~X~X

In her room on the west end of the mansion Tenten paced her room biting her thumb nail. Her mind was running a mile a minute. Many things could have happened that night before but now they were screwed, how they had gotten wind of their attack was beyond Tenten. But that wasn't the pressing point on her mind at the moment. Right now she was worried about her partner locked up on the other side of the building. Knowing the pinkette, she was riling up her investigator and annoying him to death in hopes that she'll gain something from it. Or she would be doing it for fun. Tenten sighed. Either way it wasn't a great scenario.

The fact that the one to interrogate her was Hyuuga Neji himself raised an alarm bell in Tentens' mind. The leaders of a high profile gang didn't interrogate petty assassins. But then again they didn't put them up in kicks ass quarters either. Tenten thought with a quick wry look around the room. All the furnishing were made of wood. Illegal these days because of the tree shortage and the G.G's attempts to rebuild the forests. Good luck to them on that one. Her bed was bigger than king sized with four posters and plush velvet curtains. Antiques lined the room on more wood furnishing. Hell they even had katana hanging from the wall! Talk about trust! Or arrogance.

Frustrated Tenten sat down on a chair near the window…the _open_ window and thought darkly about the consequences now they were caught and the reasons behind why they were still alive.

"I don't like this at all…" Tenten muttered to herself.

X~X~X

Sasuke re-entered the room where they were holding Haruno Sakura. A fresh linen bandage wrapped around his hand. She was sitting on the bed with a book in her lap apparently engrossed in the text. Sasuke recognized the book as a vampire story.

"Back for more pointless questions?" Sakura asked him not even bothering to look up from her book. Sasuke decided not to answer that and just leaned against the wall watching her.

"How's your hand?" She asked suddenly as she turned the page. Sasuke grunted and she finally glanced up at him. And she watched him watch her for a minute. Sasuke, getting slightly creeped out, decided to break the silence.

"The government?" he asked. Sakura slammed the book shut and swung herself off the bed. Sasuke could barely see the title of the book before she flung it at him.

"I knew it!" She yelled dramatically pointing at him. Sasuke caught the book as easily as he had her dagger and placed the priceless first addition of Silver Bullet down.

"Knew what?" he asked.

"I knew you knew who sent us!" She said with a wide grin on her face, "So what was with the pointless questions if you already knew huh?"

"I wanted to know how you responded in interrogation." He told her.

Sakura snorted, "Not much of an interrogation. She told him walking over to the wall by the window and picked up her glass off the tray now devoid of food and took a swing. Sasuke raised a brow.

"Now why would the I.B.I want to take us out. We have only been the closest of friends." He asked sarcastically. What was it about this woman that made him act so out of character?

"Bio-weapon." Sakura replied softly. For some reason she didn't want it to be true. She didn't want to find out this man was willing to sell a weapon that could kill thousands just for cash.

"Ah," he said, "That. Thought so." Sakura felt her chest constrict with an unknown emotion when she realised she enjoyed this mans company, and she now had to kill him one way or another or he would be responsible for an act of pure evil. Sure she killed people for a living but she didn't commit mass genocide for a few bucks. At least the people whose lives she had ended wore scum bags.

"So it's true." She said, fighting to keep her voice bland. The Uchiha didn't fail to notice this. "You're going to buy than sell a bio-weapon that will kill countless people." She chuckled darkly, "You bastard."

"Buy, yes. Sell, no." Sasuke said with a frown. He didn't like her thinking him bad for some reason. She pivoted and raised a brow.

"Why?" she demanded still holding her glass. "There's no profit." Sasukes frown deepened.

"Even I find something's disturbing." He said, "Even I find that some weapons should never exist. We are buying that weapon to get it off the market." He told her as he left his position by the door and walked further into the room. "Can you imagine what some people could do with a weapon like that?" He stopped by her bed and glared at the wall lost in thought. "No way are we letting some psycho out there get his hands on it."

"So what you guys are the good guys?" Sakura asked sarcastically to hide her relief.

"Please you'll ruin my image." Sasuke muttered, "There's still profit." Sasuke told her with a shrug, "We dismantle the weapon, dispose of the biological element and sell the parts. That actually makes us more money than the entire thing whole."

"You have a plan for everything don't you?" Sakura asked slightly stunned. Again the Uchiha shrugged.

"It's a living. What about you?" he asked. Sakura blinked.

"What?"

"Why do you do this?" Sasuke asked sitting down lazily on Sakura's bed, "a pretty girl like you shouldn't be mixed up in this kind of crap." Sakura giggled and shook her head from her position by the wall, her hair flying lightly free of the bun.

"It's a living," she replied, "right?" Sasuke pondered this for a moment.

"But why the government?" he asked her narrowing his gaze. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Although they're not our ideal clients, and they're not our only ones mind you," she shot him a dazzling white smile, "But even the highest governments have their dirty little secrets. I have nothing against you personally Uchiha but complete immunity from investigation and arrest is nice." Sasuke was silent after that. Sakura took a drink from her glass then set it down on the table beside her.

"So," she began, "When are you going to kill us?"

End of chapter

NG: Kay people I have gotten a couple comments about Neji and Tentens' relations ship. Let me make this clear. This is a SasuSaku story. 'kay. This will focus on them. Although I will add the occasional NejiTen in there.


	4. All in the name of Glory

Assassins Glory

Chapter 4: All in the name of Glory

Silence is an awkward sound, you hear everything but nothing. You hear not sound but what others think, what they feel, all in the silence of perception. This was the hardest thing for Sasuke to learn when he took over the Uchiha enterprise; he had to learn on his own too, to read people even when they say nothing, when they show nothing. Just like this girl who stands before him with such a serious and resigned expression. But a resignation of despair, more like one of understanding. She knew what she had taken on when she had agreed to kill him. It was the same no matter the target, not matter the situation. You always risked and tempted death.

'Kind of like life everyday,' Sasuke thought as he gazed into the emerald eyes of his would be killer, 'you risk dying every time you wake up in the morning, every time you step out your front door.' And yet.

Sakura blinked slowly. She awaited his answer; depending on the time he gave she could compose herself to some degree of emotionless to control the screaming agony within her soul. She did not want to die. And if she did, she would rather it be in a fight than in hopeless execution. Maybe it was self denial tempting her hopes to rise but she thought she could see mild amusement in the Uchihas' eyes, that and serious thought. Like the man in front of her she too could read a situation, she could read an atmosphere. He was deliberating her fate in those cold and calculating eyes. No, not cold, calculating definitely but not cold, endless maybe. For some unknown reason she would want to be killed by anyone but this man, she did not want her blood to stain his hands, curse him like she wished on her killer before.

"Sakura-san," he finally spoke. The pinkette tensed slightly, "I am not going to order the death of you or your friend." He told her his voice calm and soothing.

"Then you are a fool," Sakura replied, voice bland and blunt.

"Maybe," he nodded only slightly agreeing with her, "But I am a business man my dear and you are to valuable to waist." Sakura narrowed her eyes at him then.

"Jerk." That startled a laugh out of him.

"I never said I was a gentleman," he told her his amusement shining clearly in his eyes now.

"I never claimed you were either," Sakura snipped. Again he laughed a short laugh. Before they settled into the earlier silence, but it was different this time. This time Sakura was analysing and Sasuke was watching.

"I don't understand you," Sakura muttered and turned away.

"Pardon?" Sasuke frowned.

"Please leave." She asked, Sasukes' frown deepened but her obeyed standing he watched her look out the window for a moment. He opened his mouth to say something, anything. But nothing came so he closed him mouth then his eyes and left the room with a slight shake of his head. That woman was really something.

---

"Did you get anything?" Sasuke had just closed the door when he heard his partners question.

"Not much," he told Neji, walking pass him and continuing down the hall. The Hyuuga nodded and followed.

"Same."

"I gotta say though. She's really something." Neji looked at his friend from the corner of his eyes.

"You sound like you're half in love with her already Uchiha." Sasuke glared at him.

"I'm serious. She went on a short tangent and then asked me point blank when we were going to kill them." Sasuke retorted, "When I told her we weren't she had the nerve to call me a fool." Neji snorted.

"Yeah her partner is a piece of work too. Asked me the same thing… throwing a vase at my head while she was at it too." This time Sasuke chuckled.

"I have a feeling we'll have are hand full with these two," he muttered "But what and Uchiha wants…"

"An Uchiha gets." Neji finished looking slightly grim.

X~X~X

"Little prick, who does he think he is damn it!" Tenten muttered to herself darkly as she paced the width and length of her room. "Really join them! What are they nuts? For fucks sake we were sent to kill them!"

A hesitant knock on her door roused her from her cyclone of insults she was hurling at her unknowing captor.

"What?" she snapped glaring at the door as it opened to reveal a timid looking girl with long dark purple hair. Her ryes where white making Tenten think she was blind for a moment before she remembered where she had seen them before.

"You related to the Hyuuga guy?" She asked before the poor girl could pen her mouth. The girls eyes widened and she nodded hastily.

"Y-yes miss," she stuttered blushing slightly as she looked down. Tenten raised and eyebrow at the subservient attitude.

"Man do I feel sorry for you." She said out loud looking the other way and out the window. A stifled giggle brought her attention immediately back to the girl. She had a hand raised to her mouth to hide a small smile and her eyes were closed.

"Neji-mii-san isn't bad," The girl told her in a small shy voice.

"He's your brother?" Tenten inquired. The girl shook her head.

"No just a cousin, but we grew up together." She replied, "He really isn't bad he just doesn't know how to talk to anyone but soldiers." Tenten was silent as she observed the girl.

"What's your name?" she asked at last.

"Hinata, Hyuuga Hinata miss."

"The heiress?" Tenten was slightly shocked. Hinata blushed and looked away. "No friggen way! What's' an heiress like you doing with this bunch? Besides one of them being your cousin I mean."

"My family was threatened about a year ago. They sent me to live here within the safety of my cousins' protection." Hinata replied.

"Okay Hinata," Tenten strode over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder to look her in the startled eyes. "I like you, so I won't kill ya. I'll listen to what you jerk of a cousin and that damned Uchiha has to say." Tenten told her with a smile.

"Well that's just lovely," Hinata answered with a smile of her own, "That's why I'm here to bring you down to the board room. Sasuke-sama and Neji-nii-san want to talk to you and your friend."

"Have you talked to her?" Tenten asked eagerly. Hinata shook her head.

"I haven't but Ino-san was sent to get her."

"Ino? Sound like a name of someone who likes to talk." Hinata remained silent.

"Crap, I just hope Sakura has a lot of patience today."

X~X~X

A knock sounded on the grey office door. An elder man covered with scares on his left side looked up from his paper work.

"Enter," he growled. Watching as Hatake Kakashi entered his domain.

"Sir," Kakashi began, "We have lost contact with C.K's" the man at the desk placed down his pen and looked pensively out the window scowling into his scared reflection. They still ached him when exposed to the elements so he tended to cover them up with bandages.

"How long ago was contact lost?" the man asked.

"Well Danzo-sama. We lost them at time about 01:00 sir."

"They were compromised by the enemy then." He growled. Kakashi looked lazily at his superior.

"We don't know that sir. For all we know they ran out on the lam on us."

"All the more reason." Danzo barked swivelling to look at the silver haired man.

"Reason for what sir." Kakshi asked coolly, inside he was nervous, something wasn't right.

"We can't let the world know that the I.B.I. has their hand in deals with assassins! Let alone the entire Government. It could undermine all we have achived."

"You can't mean…" Kakashi whispered. Danzo was silent and he looked down allowing his gaze to be shadowed.

"Send out a request." Danzo ordered. Kakashi stood stunned in the office door.

"But sir who can we? Those two were the best in the business! We can't-"

"Bloody Desert." Danzo inturuppted.

"Excuse me?" Kakashi asked.

"Send the request to Bloody Desert. We've worked with him in the past. He'll get it done and he knows to be discreet on who hired him." Still Danzo looked down.

"Yes sir." Kakshi said with a low voice. He turned and left the office to leave Danzo alone at his desk.

"No one must know." The old man whispered to himself, "No one must know…"

---

Kakashi sat at his desk with his head in his hands. This is all wrong! He looked up at his key board and quickly typed in his password. A screen was projected from the device on his desk as he looked through the record referring to 'Bloody Desert'. Not much was to be found only crimes that he was suspected for but with little evidence against him. No doubt the Bureaus work. But one little tidbit caught his eyes and made him smile.

He typed Danzos request into the ' link and smiled when he added a little something at the end. With that sent and finished he stood up and closed his door before taking off his jacket. Feeling the lining he felt for a rectangular object. Finding it he reached behind him and slipped a small folding knife from his waist band. Opening it he brought it to the silk lining of his jacket and made a cut along the hem line, out fell a cell phone into his waiting hand. It wasn't the cell hone he was required to use given to him by the I.B.I. but this one only had one number programmed into it. Kakashi sat at his desk and faced the window that looked over the city sky tops as he brought the phone to his ear.

"Yes?" came a cool voice from the other end.

"He did it," Kakashi told the other man, "Just like you predicted he would."

"Good, good. Who did he send for?"

"Bloody Desert."

"Well that is excellent isn't it?"

"You will be alright with this?" Kakashi asked keeping an eye on his co-workers on the other side of his office door via reflection.

"Of course. We've had Bloody Desert on our side for a long time now."

"What if he sends someone else?" Kakashi inquired. He frowned Genma was rising from his desk with paperwork. Most likely for him to sign. Damn.

"I don't think we'll have to worry about anyone else." Yes he was right; Genma was heading towards his office.

"You have that much security?"

"It's nothing you have to worry about." Said the voice. Genma was getting closer.

"He's getting desperate." Kakashi warned.

"I know."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"…so do I"

Genma knocked on his superior's door before opening without waiting for a reply. "You need to sign this Kakashi." He looked up and found Kakashi busily typing up a report for something or other.

"Hmm? Oh Genma yes put those down here I'll get to them as soon as I can."

"Hai Kakashi." As Genma turned and left Kakashi closed the hidden phone as softly as he could before slipping it into his pocket to be returned to its hiding place later.

'I hope you know what you're doing.'

X~X~X

"No way! Gaara?!" Naruto yelped looking at Sasuke who sat at his place at the long mahogany table while snapping close his cell phone. "You serious?" Neji chuckled from his seat beside Naruto and across from Sasuke.

"It's just our luck that Danzo picked him of all people." Neji said with a wry smile on his face. Sasuke nodded.

"I just got word from Scarecrow." He said, "And he heard it from the big man himself. Was ordered to send in the hit request."

"You think Danzo would give up since Tenten and Sakura failed to kill you guys." Shikamaru drawled from his place against the far wall.

"That would be so if the hit were for us." Sasuke said indicating Neji and he.

"It's not?" Naruto asked temporarily drawn out of his mental celebration. Sasuke shook his head.

"Enter," he replied to a soft knock on the conference room door. Hinatas' face appeared in the open door.

"Miss Tenten, Sasuke-san, Neji-nii-san."

"Hiya Hinata-chan!" Naruto called. Hinata blushed and nodded her head in Naruto's direction before stepping into the room to allow Tenten to enter. The brunette walked in with her eyes looking every which way out of habit.

"Yo," she greeted still looking around. Neji narrowed his eyes at her lack of respect and Sasuke raised a brow. "Nice place, does the museum know that you have half its inventory?" Naruto grinned. But before he could say anything he was interrupted by another yet louder knock on the door.

Before Sasuke could say enter a blond and blue eyed woman with an agitated expression on her face burst in.

"I brought her," she said stoutly with anger clearly in her voice.

"Ino what's the matter?" Shikamaru asked. Ino spun to glare at him.

"Nothing much just that that pink haired girl can't seem to know when not to interrupt me! I mean she practically-"

"TENNIE!" a pink and black blur shot across the room and landed on Tentens' back, who of which didn't even flinch when she was suddenly the pack mule of another girl. The brunette sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Sup Sakura." She said. Sakura placed her head on Tenten's shoulder with a small pout.

"Tenten I want chocolate." Sakura muttered.

"Just like that!" Ino pointed at Sakura whom Tenten had just dumped onto the floor.

"Oh zip it blondie," Sakura told her with a smile, "You just don't know when to shut up that's all. Seriously I tried to ask you if I could have any chocolate like a billion times but you just don't listen."

"Damn forehead girl."

"Stupid pig."

…

"I like her," they both said pointing to one another at the same time. Naruto just stared at the scene with his mouth hanging open. Neji had his eyes closed and Shikamaru had fallen asleep. Sasuke was trying not to laugh.

"Is she always like this?" Neji asked his friend. Sasuke nodded knowing that Neji had referred to Sakura. "I see."

When they had all settled down and sat in their chosen seats Sasuke stood from his chair and clicked the lights off in the room. At the same time a screen behind him came down and a holographic image came onto the screen. It was an identification card showing a red head with menacing green eyes and the kanji for Love tattooed on his head.

"This is the latest C.K. hired by the government. His code name is 'Bloody Desert' his real name is Gaara. He's an associate of ours so there's no threat from him." Sasuke began. "We have just received word from our mole within the I.B.I. that the head of the department has ordered a kill on sight order to Gaara."

"So you have an assassin on you tail with orders to kill you on sight, and he's a friend of yours? How do you get out of this one?" Sakura asked.

"The hit isn't for us Sakura." Sasuke told her, "The I.B.I. believes that Tenten and you have been compromised. The hit if for you."

Tenten and Sakura looked at one another. They weren't too surprised, maybe a little ticked, alright very pissed off, but not surprised.

"Son of a bitch," Tenten murmured, "See Sak? I told you we shouldn't have taken the job."

"Shut up Tenten." Sakura muttered darkly.

"But it's true," Tenten said loudly propping her head on her hand, "We have been compromised. So where do we meet this guy?"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked.

"As Tenten said, we have been compromised, you guys caught us we _should_ be dead already. That's the rules of the game," Sakura said leaning back in her chair, "You kill you win, you get caught you die. That's just the way it is. Tenten and I already knew this, and so does he. If he doesn't kill us the ext hit will be for him so since we've already lost all our rep anyways…might as well." Sakura said turning to her friend.

"Yeah, true. Damn." Tenten sighed. Narutos mouth hung open once more.

"Wait a minute" Ino cut in, "So you guys actually _want_ to die?!" Sakura let out a peal of laughter. One that sent shivers up everyone's but a select few spines.

"Of course not stupid!" She giggled, "But it's not like we have any options."

"Uh huh so just tell us where to meet him and we'll end this." Tenten stood up and stretched. Looking down at Sakura she nudged her chair. "Oi I'm hungry wanna go eat our last meal?"

"Ooooh I wonder if they have Oden?" Sakura pondered before following her friend out of the room. A shocked silence fell over the people who were left behind in the room after the girls left.

"Are they serious?" Ino asked turning to her leaders. Neji closed his eyes seemingly thinking and Sasuke frowned at the door after the two had just left. "They really don't mind dying?"

"To the educated mind, Death is but an adventure. The next step in life." Shikamaru told her.

"That doesn't answer my question lazy ass." Ino retorted.

"I don't think it's as if they don't mind dying," Hinata said quietly from her chair. Everyone turned their attention to the heiress. "It's more like they accept it."

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Could you elaborate for the idiot Hinata?" Sasuke asked, sitting back in his chair.

"Oi!" Naruto growled.

"What I mean is, I think they really don't want to die. At least not just yet, however with this news that they have a hit on them, and the code they seem to have, has severely cut short their options." Hinata looked sadly at each one of them, "They don't have a choice but to die."

End of Chapter

NG: Gaaaah! I'm so sorry that I took so long to update this. I got a block about half way through and had to struggle everyday to get this much out even though it's so short!

SO! What will Sakura and Tenten do now faced with certain death? What does Sasuke have going on in his genius mind? And when will Gaara show?


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